Man Charged With Burning Midtown Bar’s American Flag

A 26-year-old Brooklyn man was charged with burning an American flag outside a Midtown bar after wrapping up his Fourth of July celebrations, prosecutors said.

Jeffrey Schorfheide, 26, allegedly confessed to the act — which occurred outside The Playwright Irish Pub on West 35th Street in Manhattan shortly after 4:30 a.m. on July 5 — in a written statement to investigators, according to court documents.

“I set about setting the flag on fire. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, it finally went up and the awning began to catch on fire,” he wrote in the statement, according to court papers.

Police caught up to Mr. Schorfheide after viewing surveillance video capturing him trying to ignite the bar’s flag with a lighter, authorities said.

He was also caught on video taking photos of the blaze before walking away, authorities said.

The fire destroyed the flag and caused damage to the pub’s awning and façade, authorities said.

Workers were inside the bar at the time of fire, according to court documents

Mr. Schorfheide was arraigned late Tuesday night in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges of arson, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.

He was released on $3,000 bail, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said. A call to his court-appointed attorney, Damjan Panovski, was not immediately returned.